The Oklahoma Supplier Diversity Initiative was created by the State of Oklahoma (as set forth in Section 85.45j.11 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes) to provide a resource for state agencies and private businesses to utilize Certified Diversity Business Enterprise firms in procurement opportunities and to encourage growth in the Oklahoma economy.
This program allows Certified Diverse Business Enterprise firms to be registered with the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) and provide for simplified vendor registration processes.
The Oklahoma Department of Commerce has the authority to qualify and certify Diverse Business Enterprise companies for the State.
If you have questions please submit them to diversitycertification@okcommerce.gov.
Application
To qualify for this program, a business must:
- Have annual revenue of equal to or less than Twenty-five Million Dollars ($25,000,000);
- Have less than Five Hundred (500) total employees;
- Be Oklahoma owned and operated;
- Be registered with the Oklahoma Secretary of State (if applicable);
- Not be a publicly traded company;
- Meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Certified by the United States Small Business Administration as one or more of the following types of entities:
- Woman-Owned Small Business
- Minority Business Enterprise
- Small Disadvantaged Business
- Service-disabled Veteran Owned Small Business
- HUBZone Small Business Concern
- 8(a) Business Development Program Member
- Fifty-one percent (51%) or more owned and controlled by a member of one of the following diverse groups:
- Native Americans
- United States Military Veterans
- Women
- Racial Minorities (including African American, Hispanic or Asian American)
- Certified as an Oklahoma Department of Transportation Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
- Certified by the United States Small Business Administration as one or more of the following types of entities:
FAQ
Q: Can a non-profit entity be recognized as a Diverse Business Enterprise?
A: No. Only for profit entities can be recognized as a Diverse Business Enterprise as non-profit entities do not have private ownership.
Q: If my business has an event that causes it to lose eligibility, how do I need to notify the Department of Commerce.
A: To notify the Department of Commerce, please e-mail diversitycertification@okcommerce.gov alerting the Department of Commerce that the business no longer qualifies from the contact e-mail for the business previously supplied to the Department of Commerce.
Q: Does this program automatically register my company with the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) in order to be eligible for contract awards from Central Purchasing or any other Oklahoma state agency?
A: This application is not an automatic registration with OMES or any State of Oklahoma agency for contract awards. You must also register with the Central Purchasing Division for any procurement activities with Oklahoma state agencies. It is recommended that if you wish to be considered for state contract opportunities, you register with the Central Purchasing Division (link above) prior to applying to the Supplier Diversity Program.
Diversity Certified Businesses
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